30 June 2025

Final designs released

We’re removing the dangerous and congested level crossing at Maidstone Street, Altona, by building a new road bridge over the rail line to improve safety and create better connections, including to the new West Gate Tunnel.

We have released final designs for the new road bridge. Your feedback has helped shape these designs, which avoids impacts to important utilities and protected grasslands.

The new road bridge means we can get rid of the crossing sooner and helps minimise traffic disruptions during construction.

Early works are underway to set up our site facilities and relocate services, in preparation for major works to begin in the coming weeks.

We will provide the local community and businesses with notice of any works and disruptions.

Why this level crossing needs to go:

  • 14,400 vehicles travel through the level crossing each day and 48 trains pass through during the morning peak (7am to 9am).
  • Boom gates are down for up to 21% of the morning peak (7am to 9am).Werribee Line level crossing free by 2030

Final designs

The designs have been updated to show the colours and textures of the new road bridge, the new pedestrian path, and new landscaping in the area.

Creating better connections

We’re building a new pedestrian path on the west side of the bridge. The path will be separated from the road, creating safer connections in the area, and will connect into the existing footpath at Morrow Street.

With the boom gates gone, traffic will be able to move safely through the area, with less delays to more than 14,000 drivers who use this key freight route each day.

Design elements

In response to community feedback, there will be new lighting along the road bridge and pedestrian path for community safety.

Most of you preferred earthy natural tones for the look and feel of the new road bridge. The new road bridge will showcase an earthy palette of browns, oranges and muted purples.

Landscaping

We'll be planting a mix of native trees.

Thank you for your feedback

In July 2024, we shared the concept designs for the new road bridge and asked for your feedback.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their feedback on the project. We heard from a range of community members, including local businesses, landowners and residents.

Your feedback has helped us refine the designs to deliver infrastructure that will serve the community, now and into the future.

For more information about how community feedback has helped shape the designs, see our October community update.

We have incorporated community feedback into the final designs, alongside technical and engineering requirements.

Why a road bridge is the best solution

A road bridge allows us to avoid important utilities and pipelines in the rail corridor and supports future rail development. It also helps keep rail freight moving now and into the future.

Due to the area's long industrial history, the location of the level crossing is home to numerous critical underground services, which makes lowering the road or rail not feasible at this site.

The design of the road bridge considers Maidstone Street's unique conditions by having an extended bridge length.

The distance from residential and commercial properties allows us to construct the bridge with minimal acquisition and disruption to the community.

A road bridge also allows us to reduce impacts on the nearby protected Altona Grasslands.

Did you know?

The new Maidstone Street road bridge will be 50.5m wide and built of steel to accommodate this width. The span allows us to traverse existing passenger and freight rail infrastructure, 3 critical fuel pipelines and future rail infrastructure.

Supporting local traders

We know this is a busy industrial precinct, with a range of businesses from manufacturing to retail.

You told us that plenty of notice of disruptions and maintaining access were the most important things to you.

We'll be working closely with businesses during construction to minimise disruptions where possible.

Early works

A project of this size and scale involves months of planning. We carefully schedule works to ensure efficient use of large machinery and minimise disruption during construction.

Early works for the project have begun and activities in the lead-up to major construction will include:

  • Relocating utility services, undertaking drainage works and tree and vegetation removal in preparation for the new road infrastructure
  • Setting up site offices and facilities
  • Fencing off work areas to keep the community and our workforces safe
  • Preparing the road area and rail line for works to take place.

To prepare for construction, we are setting up site facilities close to our work areas.

We’re continuing to set up our temporary site offices near the crossing. During this time, you will see an increase in construction workers and vehicles in the area.

These sites will primarily be used during normal daytime construction hours: Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm and Saturday between 7am and 3pm, with some out of hours works required at times.

When project works are required on weekends or at night for major construction, local residents will be notified in advance.

We’ll keep local residents and traders informed about ongoing works taking place in the area.

How we minimise impacts:

As we move into construction, we will provide local businesses and the community with advance notice of works and disruptions.

To minimise disruption and construction impacts, we will:

  • work during daytime as much as possible
  • put controls in place for noise and vibration
  • use water trucks and other measures to keep dust levels down
  • maintain access for local businesses and residents
  • have traffic management in place, when required.

Stay up to date

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